The Malthus-Godwin debate, then and now

The famous opposition between Malthus and Godwin began early in their respective careers and has continued not only throughout their lives but, in the words of their supporters, still today. This seemingly forthright statement represents several paradoxes. Starting from quite divergent views of man and society, both moved much closer to what can be taken to be the ethical and political norm of their time; but as they approached agreement on fundamentals, their debate became more vituperative. From our point of view, their similarities are often more significant than their differences, for both represented variations on a common theme of Benthamite liberalism. To continue the debate in 19th-century terms is inappropriate, especially since in many recent analyses the views of both men are distorted. By our measures of politics, Godwin was more often the reactionary, Malthus more often the progressive.